That single note after the tenor solo had me listening to it several times as I was trying to decide whether what I was hearing was in fact on muted trombone and not Hubbard’s first note on trumpet. It’s a very low note, and while it would still be in the extreme lower range of the trumpet and possible for a great instrumentalist like Hubbard, it is unusual to have a player "hand-off" a solo to another player that way. But, given the highly interactive nature of this music it’s not out of the realm of possibility. However, final verdict (for me):
It is a single note on trombone. Listen to the vibrato at the end of that note and right before Hubbard plays his first note on trumpet. That is what is called "slide vibrato"; made by quickly moving the slide back and forth a very short distance. Not possible on trumpet since there is no slide on the trumpet and on which "lip vibrato" is used. However....why did he play that single note? My previous possible answer sounded interesting (I think), but I have to take it back. Notice Moncur solos following Hubbard at 8:43. I think he simply screwed up and started soloing after Shorter instead of waiting until Hubbard had soloed. He then realized his mistake (or was waved out) and stopped. Being the great musicians that they are, they made it all sound musical. All this goes to your question re how "scripted" it all was. In a studio situation with a finite amount of time ($) there are definite guidelines re order of solos and length of solos. To make it all sound free and unscripted is part of the art of it all. This sort of thing happens and happened a lot more often than one might think. Today in our age of easy digital editing, multi-tracking and quest for error-free performances, the producer may have simply taken that note out; a big mistake, imo.
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As much as I love some of the modern tenor players from Coltrane to the present, for me the sweet spot in the jazz tenor stylistic lineage is probably best exemplified by Hank Mobley; particularly his earlier records. Very swinging and inventive player he played with a tone that was still in the Lester Young mold of being gentler and less aggressive and hard than what was becoming the trend around this time (1956) as Coltrane began taking the tenor world by storm. The kind of tone that I think Alex likes. I like this record a lot. Something easy and casual (in a good sense) about the playing, even in the fast tunes. Kenny Dohram sounds fantastic on this as does Mobley; great story telling from both. Excellent rhythm section with players not often discussed: Walter Bishop, Doug Watkins and Art Taylor. The first two clips are the first two tunes on the record with higher fidelity than the entire record third clip: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jh8OCdo5Wh0https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wg-_yoq39YQhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wvRu3zbM7cg |
Thanks for your thoughts. I don’t consider your taste "prosaic", but clearly "particular". I agree that Mobley doesn’t have the most beautiful tone, but I think we can agree that there is more to the appeal of any player than tone. I stressed the issue of tone because I think his is a good middle ground in the overall tenor tone spectrum. Ultimately, it’s what, as you say, whether the player "has something to say" or not regardless of tone that works for me. Hawk, Quebec and Gonsalves I like very much too. Different era and different concepts; much more "inside" and traditional harmonically. Nice Coltrane clip; I’m a big fan of that record. There is very little, if anything, by Coltrane that I don’t like, but if made to choose I do prefer his somewhat later stuff. This is where Mobley was coming from tonewise (1952) ; I Iove it: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=55kRe5BvHeg |
Alex, certainly no thanks necessary and yes, I have heard a lot of new (to me) music and artists thanks to you. We all look for and find different things to appreciate in music and any art form and form a personal "sphere" of preferences based on those. I don’t, nor should anyone imo, judge another listener’s preferences from a standpoint of superiority or elitism. This is why I have been critical of an attitude that sometimes creeps into these discussions that tries to claim that this thread is somehow an exclusive club of cognoscenti and that only a very small handful "understand"; an attitude that I think has been proven to be wrong. That kind of attitude may feel good, but is meaningless and useless, imo. Ironically, it is precisely that attitude that I think keeps some from participating. As I see it the healthiest attitude as listeners is precisely the attitude that great musicians themselves have: that ultimately the quality of the music is determined by the level of craft and the sincerity of the artist and not by the style, period or genre. For me, historical context and evolution of the styles is really interesting. Not meaning to oversimplify, to you it may be discovering (and sharing) lesser known or forgotten players and the reasons that may be so. We can all learn from each other’s point of view.
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Fantastic clips from Dave and O-10 both. Johnny Hodges!!! Hadn't heard this record; thanks. One of the most distinctive alto saxophone stylists ever and one of the defining "voices" of Duke's band. Duke wrote with each member of his band in mind in order to capitalize on each player's individual sound and style. On this record it's Billy Strayhorn who leads what is basically Duke's band (same personnel) with a different piano player. As we all know Strayhorn was Duke's composing/arranging partner and who contributed much of the material Duke became known for. Love Hodges' "slippery" style with those wide note bends. Very evocative player.
O's Roland Kirk clip: Amazing! One of the true geniuses of jazz and one who could bring a lot of humor to the proceedings without it sounding silly. Fantastic player who could sound a little rough around the edges, but was always extremely creative. In case anyone is interested the strange looking saxophone in the middle of the three (!!!) is a straight alto; same as the regular alto only that the tubing has not been given the usual bend in the middle.
The Art Pepper clip is great jazz as Dave points out. And Milcho Leviev! There's a name we don't hear too often. Very interesting player that I know from some of his work with Dave Holland.
I must say that I am intrigued by the genre descriptions by my steemed colleagues in jazz of their posted music. Might be interesting to discuss this. While all good jazz has a lot of soul, I would not use the term "soul jazz", as I understand it, to describe neither the Kirk nor Quebec clips. Similarly, and re Dave's clips, while not all jazz is blues, some blues is jazz. Iow, that Art Pepper clip is definitely a blues: twelve bar blues form and very bluesy tonality. Thanks for the great clips!
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Thanks for your comments, O-10. I like clarity; it works for me and I think it’s something very positive to strive for in any interaction. For me there is always room for a request for explanation or, as I am trying to do as I write this, to further explain oneself; all done with the best intentions since it seems to me that this is the way to meaningful discourse. So having said that and for the sake of clarity this is why I made the comment re the name use: First, there is no indication that I can see that your post was intended for Alex only; especially since you addressed both of us in your post. Secondly, I agree with you that words have different meanings to different folks, but the term souljazz is a generally accepted name for a specific style, I think of so,etching https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_jazzI think these details matter as the music is discussed and seems to me that it’s always better to be on the same or similar page. Much more importantly, I am glad to see that you are well enough to post. I hope you continue to feel better and look forward to you being back "full time". Regards. |
I like plain talk and I like "Plain Talk"; thanks, Alex. Also, a pretty good example of early "soul jazz" with the Hammond B3 featured. Aside from being an enjoyable listen, I find this cut interesting for a couple of reasons. The first reason goes to what I think you mean when you say "Perhaps not the type of music you would expect just by looking the names on the cover...". Mitchell and McLean (alto and not credited on YouTube) are beboppers all the way and their facility with faster tempos and extended solos highlight the "limitations" of Quebec who was much more of a traditionalist with a sound that was less modern and which evoked the swing and blues players. The other reason is just speculation on my part and goes to what you point out re the date of release; recorded in 1960, but not released until 1968. Maybe strictly a business decision due to the peak in popularity of the style in the late 60s. From the Wiki article on "soul jazz":
**** Soul jazz developed in the late 1950s, reaching public awareness with the release of The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco.[4][5] Cannonball Adderley noted: "We were pressured quite heavily by Riverside Records when they discovered there was a word called 'soul'. We became, from an image point of view, soul jazz artists. They kept promoting us that way and I kept deliberately fighting it, to the extent that it became a game."[6] While soul jazz was most popular during the mid-to-late 1960s ****
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Great stuff, you guys. Thanks!
**** The more famous they get, the faster and louder they play, or so it seems. ****
I too like Buddy Guy’s early stuff. A few months ago my wife, knowing that I am a fan of both Buddy and Mavis Staples, bought us tickets to see them both on a double bill at the NJPAC. Buddy had a great band; Mavis’, so so. The shows where unbelievably loud ; we almost had to leave. Thank God, I always carry a pair of earplugs wherever I go. Since I am around loud music all the time and since negative effect of exposure to loud sounds is cumulative I wear them even when driving. I wanted to kill the guy mixing the sound. A legend like Buddy Guy deserves much better.
I hope everyone is well and healthy. |
Good catch on the similarity to "Mysterioso", Pryso; I definitely hear why it reminded you of that tune. My take is that it is actually a play on the classic Miles tune "Milestones", but this time done much much more slowly and dreamy. The two horns each play the "Milestones"-like melody (or fragments of it) one beat apart from each other. On Miles' "Milestones" the band plays the melody first in unison and then staggered the way they (Rhombal) do it. I think that's were the "inspiration" for their tune came from. https://youtu.be/k94zDsJ-JMUOn Valium (I think I'm showing my age 😊): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1jirf4bPO5cMan!, those guys could use a few double espressos. I don't mean in order to play faster; I just don't find the musicianship to be at a particularly high level. As much as I like a lot of "new jazz", in my opinion this not a good example of the better new jazz. Thanks for bringing some new jazz to the proceedings here, O-10; always good to explore the new. Try this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UwHFbo76ll0https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oVne9WvVP40 |
Hope it's ok to crash the party 😉. Fantastic stuff; loved it. Thanks for turning me on to Lage and Thile (knew Collie and Meyer); beautiful players. Talk about easy with its own brand of swing.
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I mostly agree re Potter. I want to like his playing because I admire his playing so much for its virtuosity; but, ultimately, he leaves me kinda cold. I put his playing and style in the probably unfairly broad category of "post-Coltrane" that reached a peak with Michael Brecker, Bob Berg and Bob Mintzer; and, for the more purist-minded, players like Liebman and Grossman. You articulated the dilemma very well. What are they doing to advance the form? I've always thought of this as a kind of "dirty little secret" in modern jazz. Putting aside Coltrane's really far out explorations at the end of his life, the influence of his style was so huge in jazz that it created, except for the very best, a whole generation of players that had a stylistic inprint that is a kind of caricature of Trane. With Potter its more about were Brecker took the Trane thing than anything, but still clearly going back to Trane . That's one of the reasons I like Joe Henderson's playing; he took a very different road than the Coltrane highway. For the listener it's a matter of just how deep into the nuances of the evolution of styles one wants to get. Along the way there are some players who are clear "significant deflection points" (I like that term). I will say, however, that getting to know the playing of good players who are not necessarily stylistic ground breakers helps to understand and appreciate those who are a great deal. I used to feel this way about Joe Lovano, but I think his playing has matured a great deal and he is truly advancing the form. I just posted this, but in case you missed it. I think this is just great. Interesting the similarities to Henderson's sound: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oVne9WvVP40As far as your comments re the more traditional jazz I would say that to focus only on the deflection points would be a big mistake. There were far more individualistic players back then who are really worth exploring and who while not being major deflection points were just so good and so fun to listen to. This is just one of those players. Amazing ballad playing and feel good vibe. And what a tone! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RKby3ZnxmAI |
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Nice to see you back here, Chayro. Dismissive of those guys?! No way; especially of MB. Perhaps it was my additional comment about the "purists" perhaps preferring Liebman or Grossman that gave that impression. Truth is that Brecker, and Berg/Mintzer who emulated Brecker to a large degree, all played in a style that was informed by Rock and Pop in addition to the primary Coltrane influence. Liebman and Grossman (especially Liebman) while bringing some of their own stuff to the table never really wandered away from the Trane train much. Some favorite Liebman: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5YQ86ETQZeELiebman on soprano with Grossman on tenor (@3:17); both were practically kids still! Grossman sounds absolutely fierce on this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YsUfriV43GA |
**** I'm sure I didn't play it anymore after that, but somehow I put it on the play list (is this convoluted or what?) I'll let you figure it out.... **** I'm not a big believer in coincidences, O-10. I suspect that the music struck a chord (😉) subconsciously and you knew there was good stuff there. Classic record. In spite of all the hoopla (deserved) around "Bitches Brew", it was "In A Silent Way" that was, as ghosthouse points out, the first major deflection point towards a entirely new genre; or, as someone used to say here and speaking of sartorial acumen, the beginning of Miles' "Sinbad period". More great Teo Macero storytelling on the making of "In A Silent Way" (@ 5:00): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2yK6kXSqB2kHey Rok, if you're out there, hope all is well. |
Is this it? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0k4Y7sDTM2UThis one picks up at 2:09 of the previous clip: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=In16H9J72HYMen at work: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OyfEddS41nMRe your reaction to Macero’s greeting of Monk: I don’t entirely disagree, but would point out that Macero was a player before he was a producer and who played with a lot of those guys. He was one of "the cats". Musicians, black and white, have a certain looseness around each other that may seem politically incorrect, but is part of their rapport. It is true that a lot of white musicians appropriated a lot of the "style" of black players both musically and socially. Not as obvious, but it went the other way too sometimes. Notice Macero’s reaction to Miles’ calling him a "white motherf€£%r" in one of the earlier clips...he laughed about it. Btw, the term "motherf€£%r", or usually, "bad motherf€£%r" was and is still an accepted way among jazz players of referring to a really great player....or really great pants 😎. Thanks for the story; wish I’d been there. |
A few days ago Alex posted some great music by one of my favorite bass players, Sam Jones. Great player with one of the most solid time feels of any bass player. I got to know his playing from his long association with (possibly) my favorite alto player. One of my favorite and very early Cannonball Adderley records and one which goes under the radar way too often: https://youtu.be/WS4h1CX_ZT4It’s not often that the bass player gets to start the tune. In this case, for good reason: https://youtu.be/kJd3-MeTdJ8Talk about setting up the tune’s groove! : https://youtu.be/gEF1Vxmm5jISam Jones was also a fine composer. He wrote some memorable tunes for Cannonball’s Quintet which would become standards: https://youtu.be/-DIRlg76HsAhttps://youtu.be/vAdE3pLlMFQA while back I posted the great Paul Chambers’ discography, probably no better testament to a player’s talent and reputation among his peers. Check out Sam Jones’ discography; pretty astounding: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Jones_(musician)#Discography |
Great question. Since political correctness is not my strong suit I would have to say Bill Evans. Although, I’ve known a few women who would probably choose Monk 😉 https://youtu.be/PhBQd2VMWzA |
Today is the great John Coltrane's birthday. On the subject of influence, this record is up there with Miles' "Kind Of Blue" as one of the most influential records in the history of jazz and the way the saxophone is played in the genre: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xr0Tfng9SP0 |
Definitely flugelhorn, Masakela’s signature instrument. Sometimes used in marching bands to take the place of the French horn, the mellophone is larger and pitched lower than the flugelhorn which is pitched in Bb, same as trumpet. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bU_OLykk5sQ |
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Pryso, thank you for bringing up George Russell. Russell generated a fair amount of discussion here (and controversy....probably why I didn’t comment earlier) a while ago and in that context the only earlier mention of Don Ellis. I point this out only as a point of interest; he (and Don Ellis) is certainly worthy of more discussion. Don Ellis was a member of both some of his large and small ensemble projects. George Russell was one of the most important figures in modern jazz. As a theorist, his "Lydian Chromatic Concept Of Tonal Organization" was and is a hugely important jazz theory concept (and book) which influenced many modern jazz players including Miles and Coltrane particularly in their ground breaking moves toward "modal" jazz. On this thread there has sometimes been a very mistaken notion and even aversion to the idea that many (probably most) of the most prominent jazz players have actively, and very extensively, studied and used ideas and "formal" concepts about harmony in developing their compositions and improvisation styles. I mention this only to stress just how important Russell’s ideas were and how much that sort of thing is an integral part of this great music. The idea that jazz players simply put the horn up to their lips and blow and magic happens is simply not how it all works. It is ultimately a combination of talent, creativity combined with serious study and understanding of harmony and music theory and, yes, magic. George Russell’s ideas were and remain hugely important. Interesting reading: http://www.georgerussell.com/lc.htmlNice "So What". Very funky; thanks for that. Love how he doesn’t use the melody of the tune and instead uses Miles’ very solo from Miles’ classic recording of the tune in the ensemble passages. Great soprano solo. Some of my favorite George Russell are his small ensemble recordings. This one featuring Don Ellis and Eric Dolphy is particularly interesting, imo: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8-PHjNNfEy4 |
Ghosthouse, loved it. Yeah, the tuba doesn't always get a lot of love in jazz. Great players in MJTP; amazing how agile they can sound on those big horns. Thanks for that!
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Very possibly. He was known, as you suggest, for his wry sense of humor. Great player and great loss. I’ll never forget the first time I heard his playing. I was a sophomore in high school (1975) and just starting to discover jazz and jazz saxophone in particular. In this case it was "fusion". My band director said to me "You got to hear this guy" and played me this record. It was Michael Brecker on Billy Cobham’s "Crosswinds". On that record the guitarist was John Abercrombie: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z2tNB-tQjiEThe tune that introduced me to Michael Brecker: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l-b_h8i9eWU |
Another good one is Bill Evans' "Waltz For Debbie"/"The Village Vanguard Sessions". A live album(s), it does a remarkable job of capturing the sound and ambience of the famous club; a sound I know well from many visits there. The sense of depth is fantastic; but interesting because the perspective is one from which one gets the feeling of being on stage with the players looking back (way back!) to the audience and the rear of the club instead of looking AT the band. The music is, of course, fantastic. |
pryso, while I would like to think that as concerns music I try to keep an open mind and to always "remain open to others’ views", I confess to sometimes being influenced by a certain bias; specifically, against singers whose recordings get a lot of attention as audiophile favorites. I am not entirely sure why, perhaps it was the association in my mind with the label Mobile Fidelity, but I somehow lumped in Patricia Barber and her recordings with that of several "new" artists who have gotten a lot of attention in audiophile circles and whose music has left me unimpressed and consequently ignored her. "Diana Krall syndrome"? Boy, was that a mistake! That clip of Barber’s Newport Jazz concert is NOTHING like what I expected. Interesting artist. I like her brand of brainy and atmospheric jazz very much. Lovely and sensual alto voice with just the right amount of breathiness and interesting compositions; and, as you say, very individualistic. I can understand to a degree some of the criticism that I have read about a certain "self-conscious hipness" in her style, but that quality (which I wouldn’t describe as such) doesn’t bother me. I’m a little perplexed by the negative comment that you cite about the connection to Bill Evans. I don’t hear it at all. She’s a terrific piano player in a decidedly modern vein, but more assertive and masculine (sorry) than Bill Evans who played with a much more gentle touch, covered tone and brooding quality. Still, she’s no Bill Evans in overall scope; but, who is? Thanks for the clip; I just ordered "Cafe Blue" and will take it from there.
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Betty Carter live: Fabulous! Music this great can’t be hurt by less than perfect audio; its more than good enough. Along with Ella the only female singer whose scatting I can stand for more than a few bars. Thanks for that clip. And that rhythm section!!! |
pryso, sorry for not being clear. I didn’t think it was you that suggested they had similar styles; rather, the commentator you cited. I didn’t see nor hear the point of his comparison. And, yes, her playing posture is like Evans’; and much more animated overall than Evans who hardly moved when he played. Thanks again.
O-10, thanks for that clip. Nice.
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No comparison intended nor appropriate, but Patricia Barber’s concert video caused me to think of this record. A bit of an acquired taste with her manipulation of pitch and deliberate alteration of the melody of a song, Betty Carter was a true original. SOTA rhythm section. I love this record: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr6i6H4_tzQUyV0NoxP1RT0m4cN9y9Nqn |
That is the beauty of art, Alex, it touches us all in different ways and some of us not at all. Perhaps you are reacting to a quality in her style which I previously referred to as "brainy". I'm curious, and no "confrontation" intended, do you have that reaction when you watch videos of her, audio clips, or both?
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Getting old....same as I....since you asked ☺️ Unless, of course, one is prepared to also say that life in general and humanity as a whole is in a worse state today than in the past. I don't subscribe to that notion. As always, good art is a reflection of the time of its creation and what determines its worth is how well it reflects that time; whether we like it or not and the reasons why is a separate matter. It is always a challenge to go outside our own comfort zones, which are a product of the time of OUR creation and life experiences, and to look at art through a less biased lens. I fail miserably sometimes.
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On my way home from this very concert hall and it caused me to think of this recording. A great record and one which has gotten scant attention here (if any?) especially considering it’s greatness and the story behind it; one of the most interesting in all of jazz lore. In case anyone doesn’t know the story, the tapes were accidentally found in the Library Of Congress archives. Coltrane had been in Monk’s band for some time and it shows; unlike his "At The Five Spot" sessions when he wasn’t yet entirely comfortable with Monk’s knotty and obtuse compositions. Brilliant stuff: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoPXZd4xaeuEiAPX_2pBUoGrp8eQL8Kx |
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It seems to me that now is precisely the time to ramp up activity here in order to show our appreciation to O-10 for starting this thread which, differences of opinion and all, has been a very positive and educational addition to these forums. With that in mind: Sleepy rainy day here in NYC. Caused me to think of this record. Interesting in that it combines some of Evans' most interesting and at times complex compositions with an incredibly relaxed feeling. As far as I know the only time that Evans and Zoot Sims, a very swinging and relaxed player, recorded together. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X23sKMIRnjM |
pryso and alex, great clips both! Evans/Bennett is one of my very favorite records and a classic. How can one not like Tony Bennett? The man drips love of singing. This is from their "Together Again" album. If anyone ever doubted what an incredible genius Evans was, this cut should set the record straight: https://youtu.be/2bDFDYhXqPMAlex, very appropriate choice as Harold Land is one of O's favorites. Has always been an interesting player to me with a more modern harmonic sense than Zoot and similar relaxed attitude. Unique dry tone; like a good IPA. Little known and interesting record: https://youtu.be/pSm1pnyki1shttps://youtu.be/NT9LGsVmUnU |
http://www.jazzinpopculture.com/assets/img/coltrane-chicken-supreme.png+++ A couple goes to see a marriage counselor. They say their marriage is on the rocks because they never speak to each other. The counselor tries to get them to talk, but they just sit there with their arms folded and their mouths closed. So he pulls out his upright bass and starts taking a solo. Instantly, the couple turns to each other and starts conversing for the first time in months. Shocked by this, the couple asks the counselor: “How did you know that would work?” “Simple,” he says, “Everyone always talks during the bass solo.” +++ +++ PIANIST: “OK, I’ll Remember April. First six bars in Ab. Bar 7 modulate down to F. Bar 12, back up to Ab but in 7/8.” SINGER: “That’s crazy! I couldn’t possibly do that!” PIANIST: “You did last night . . . “ +++ +++ What’s the difference between a dead squirrel on the side of the road and a dead trombone player? The squirrel was on his way to a gig. +++ https://www.allaboutjazz.com/paul-desmond-isms-paul-desmond-by-aaj-staff.php?width=375 |
Bargain indeed; $2 would be $17.50 in today's dollars. I understand your feeling about jazz with strings; the arrangements often seem to put too many constraints on the jazz player. However, I happen to like that record a lot and posted it early in this thread; beautiful arrangements and beautiful playing by Desmond. What "Muzak" (I'm showing my age) could have been been and seldom was. If I leave my jazz expectation behind I find the music very enjoyable. Here's another that I like a lot. Very interesting concept and a great example for anyone wanting to understand the meaning of "Third Stream". It does a great job of straddling the line between jazz and classical with interesting and challenging string arrangements while leaving the solo saxophone entirely improvised. Considered by Getz himself as the best record he ever made: https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLfOleD7-7Oj90W890D0puroQgM7yTR-0P&v=sXxybiV4Pxs |
Pryso, you are correct re ticket pricing in NYC; and that's for starters. Re "Focus": great minds think alike 😎...just kidding. |
Rok, re Berlin, Karajan and DG:
On balance, undoubtedly, one of the world’s greatest orchestras, conductors and record labels, but you have good reason to be "not so sure anymore". One of the greatest because of their history and remarkable contribution to Classical music in their respective areas.
The Berlin Philharmonic is and always has been a powerhouse orchestra with fantastic musicians both as section players and soloists. Some consider it to be the world’s greatest ordhestra. Its sound was shaped to a great extent by Karajan who was their music director for at least thirty five years. That sound was a reflection of Karajan’s famous ego, vanity and meticulous approach to just about everything he did. He was an absolute perfectionist and very "old school" with a dictatorial way with the musicians in the orchestra. Karajan famously insisted on being photographed showing only his left side which he considered to be his best side. On the many video recordings available one notices how much time the camera is focused in him and not the players; and how much time he spends conducting with his eyes closed. Very little visual connection with the players; not a good thing, generally. It is all about him and his very specific idea of what the sound of the orchestra should be. One of the main criticisms of his conducting style is that this very specific sound he carried over to the music of all composers, not allowing for variation or individuality in the sound. However, it was a sound with a tremendous amount of precision and a very specific beauty of tone; always a sense of perfection. He was incredibly prolific as recording artist and is the biggest selling Classical music artist of all time.
Personally, I like some of his recordings, but many I don’t. I find that his relentless perfectionism give can give the music a kind of cold quality. For instance, his Beethoven symphonies with Berlin are impressive in their beauty of sound especially in the slow legato passages, but I would rather listen to the Kleiber recordings for his warmer and more emotional interpretations.
I am generally not crazy about the sound of DG recordings. Compared to one of my favorite labels Decca/London I find the sound of many DG recordings to be thin and lacking in instrumental tonal body and natural hall ambience. However, some like the Kleiber recordings are quite good. Recent DG’s in particular suffer from mic placement that is too close up. However, its hard to overlook or not be impressed by the tremendous amount of great music on the label and sound that is seldom less than decent; and something that I know you appreciate, generally great looking cover art and text.
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The "Jazz Crier" (jafant) is working overtime. He mentioned Johnny Griffin: The legendary two-tenors frontline of Johnny Griffin and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis; two of the most exciting tenor players ever: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SzJ1u93iSWQ |
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Best wishes, O-10. Wishing you a full recovery. |
Beautiful, Alex. May I ask where that is? |
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So musical! And great observation. Just yesterday I read an article about another trumpet player and one of the greatest musicians that I have had the honor of playing with, Phil Smith who served as principal trumpet with NY Phil for many years. In the article, one of the current players in the section is quoted as making the exact same observation of Smith. Beautiful singing quality in Smith's playing that seemed as if he has no instrument. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/philip-smith-master-trumpeterhttps://youtu.be/5RRpnfR0hz4Btw, I have not forgotten that i have not commented on that outstanding Janacek Qt.2 I have listened to it twice and will do so again. Fantastic performance. Thanks again. |
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